Why am I starting an AI education blog now?
Just in case we are in the midst of the great intelligence explosion.
I love experimenting with artificial intelligence…
… and I love talking about it with others. Through this blog, I hope to capture, preserve, and share my journey as an educator who is teaching during (what may turn out to be) the great intelligence explosion.
1. Hi. I’m Andrew!
I am a college professor, but my professional interests can be broadly summarized as “using technology to make learning math and science fun.”
I love leaning into the “bleeding edge” of technology, becoming an early adopter and pushing the limits of what is possible. I’ve had tons of fun doing all sorts of weird things (like starring in a commercial for Google Glass or making an interactive physics laboratory in Fortnite). But more than anything, I am always interested in something new - anything new. (Please! Don’t you have something new and interesting for me to do!)
If you want to learn more about me, you can check out my website.
2. Do you share a positive vision for the future of AI in education?
In my teacher circles, the conversation around artificial intelligence is largely doom and gloom.
It feels as though faculty and students are in the midst of an
“academic integrity arms race”…
and the students are winning (by a lot).
It’s hard to have conversations about AI in education without being dragged down by complaints of student cheating. But throughout this blog, I’m just not going to engage with that topic. The truth is that I don’t care about any of that. I don’t want to think about it, and I don’t want to talk about it. (So there!)
Frankly, we just have too much important work to do around AI in education to waste any more breath on cheating. Here’s why….
The world has already changed.
As of today, I already have a super-intelligence in my pocket (who is also really good at making pictures.) The obvious point to make is that we have to start teaching students how to use AI rather than trying to scare them away from it. But there’s more…
The rate of change continues to accelerate.
And so rather than mourning what has been lost, I believe it is critically important that educators such as myself remain on the cutting edge of development, continue to experiment with what is possible, and cast a positive vision of teaching and learning for the future scenario in which artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a reality.
3. What can you expect from me?
I hope to post weekly (or maybe a little more often). Some of the posts will be short and just for fun. Others will be more in depth and potentially more technical than anyone wants to read.
I hope to share:
My own personal successes and failures
Latest developments in AI impacting education
Quick tips and practical advice
Featured stories highlighting how other educators are using AI
4. What I ask of you
If you read something you enjoy (or find helpful), then please share that post with others. Not only does it help grow the blog, it is tremendously encouraging to me personally. Thank you.